The Little Mermaid Reviews Are Here, See What Critics Are Saying About Halle Bailey And The Live-Action Remake's New Music
Who's ready to go 'Under The Sea'?
There has been a lot of buzz around the upcoming live-action remake of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, which is just one of a number of big family-friendly movies coming out this summer. Unfortunately a lot of the chatter has been racist backlash against Halle Bailey being cast as Ariel. Audiences will soon be able to draw their own conclusions about the portrayal – and that of the other actors, including Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder and Daveed Diggs putting his own mark on Sebastian – when the director Rob Marshall's film hits theaters on May 26. While we wait, let’s take a look at the reviews.
The latter two actors also faced some trolling – or at least their meme-worthy characters did – after movie posters were released showing the animated versions of Ariel’s crab and fish friends. Despite some apparent wariness from fans loyal to the 1989 movie, the first reactions to the remake were positive, with moviegoers lauding Halle Bailey, saying she proves herself, both with her singing voice and in the way she embodies the classic Disney character. In CinemaBlend’s review of The Little Mermaid, Corey Chichizola agrees, rating the movie 4 out of 5 stars and calling the actress a “bonafide superstar” in one of Disney’s best live-action adaptations. He continues:
Alyssa Mora of IGN rates The Little Mermaid a “Good” 7 out of 10, saying Halle Bailey gives a star-making performance in a movie that is an acceptable, if not always successful, adaptation of the animated original. The critic concludes:
Brian Truitt of USA TODAY rates the film 2.5 out of 4 stars, warning skeptical viewers that Rob Marshall’s The Little Mermaid is a different animal than the 1989 classic – and nearly an hour longer. This critic joins the others in saying Halle Bailey is the selling point of this remake, but says the original music from Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda stick out against the beloved originals:
Caryn James of BBC rates it 3 stars out of 5, calling the lead actress “captivating” as Ariel, while Daveed Diggs is the perfect comic voice for her crab companion. James says it’s a “spectacle with an allure and vitality of its own,” but like the critic above, she says the new songs don’t measure up to the original soundtrack offerings. The review states:
Leigh Monson of AV Club grades the movie a C+, admitting that this Disney live-action remake is better than others that have come before, but that doesn’t mean that it’s good. The critic continues:
It seems like the critics are all praising Halle Bailey, with plenty of love for Melissa McCarthy, as well. However, the skepticism that surrounds the movie, which follows several highly criticized live-action remakes from the House of Mouse, seems to center around the new music written for the movie and the additions that extend its runtime by 52 minutes, compared to the 1989 original.
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These reviews shouldn’t and won’t keep audiences from checking The Little Mermaid out in theaters, though, after its release Friday, May 26. Be sure to also take a peek at our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to see what else is coming soon, and see what other upcoming Disney movies you can look forward to.
Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.